Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Class of 2016, READ THIS.

For the next month or so, I am going to begin a series for the upcoming college class of 2016. That's right, high school seniors, I'm writing to you. Every Wednesday for at least a month, I am going to share five tips for surviving your freshman year of college that I wish someone would have told me when I was a senior in high school.

Now, I'm only on my second semester of college, so I'm certainly no expert, but I do know this:

I started college feeling absolutely miserable and homesick and friendless. And now I am growing in the Lord more than I ever have before, I am surrounded by loving and amazing friends, and I am plugged into organizations that fit me perfectly.

I love college, but I also know that going to college is scary and hard at first. As your sister in Christ, I want to help you out. So if you are a member of the upcoming class of 2016, keep an eye out for something new for you every Wednesday. (Also, if you're a sophomore or junior in high school and you're thinking about college already, perhaps this can ease some of your fears as well).

If you have any specific questions you'd like me to answer, go ahead and leave them in the comments or send me an email at jacksfavoriteowner@yahoo.com. I'll answer them.

In a few weeks, I'll go ahead and have another College Q&A Day. I had one at the beginning of last semester when I still wasn't quite sure about everything that was going on. I hadn't made a lot of friends yet and I was still homesick. You are free to ask me any questions about college life: dorm life, food, money-making, how I made friends, how I picked my school... anything like that, and I will do my best to answer them. If I don't know the answer, I will ask someone who does know.

I am here for you in prayer (class of 2016, you have no idea how wrapped in prayer you are right now) and I am here for you to answer questions the best I can. I want to encourage you and love on you as you make the huge decision about which university you will attend.

So leave me questions about college. I will answer them over the next couple of weeks. And keep an eye out for Wednesday college tips.

4 comments:

(This is going to be kind of long, apologies in advance!)I'm just a sophomore in high school but I have been seriously thinking about college and university. It's been so overwhelming because I'm homeschooled. I make good grades in school but I'm worried about not being admitted into the university I want because I'm homeschooled. I've heard that the particular one I'm interested in doesn't even consider homeschooled applicants because of how many applications they get. The homeschooled ones just get skimmed over or put away because they don't have the time to review them. It's easier for them to just look at people who got their high school diplomas in a public school system.

I have a plan though, and for a few years now I've been wanting to attend Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas (I used to live there before I moved to Canada). My dad went there and the person in charge of admissions is a good family friend. I'd have no problems being accepted there, so I'll probably end up there for two years (more or less) and transfer into the other one. I don't know if that's a good idea though, because it seems like it'd be so much stress to go to two different universities on opposite ends of the continent. What do you think?

I'm just feeling so small and confused about this all. I have a little less than two years to think about it and it's overwhelming me. I am excited at the prospect of being totally independent but the thought scares me at the same time. What if I get horribly homesick? What if I have a hard time fitting in and making friends? These may seem like irrational concerns to some people, but I see that you mentioned you went through the same worries, so I decided to ask you for some advice.

As for questions, here's some I have.

How did it go with applying to your university? Was the admission process overwhelming?Was it scary being away from friends and family?Is it hard to find your way into college life?Are the professors/teachers good?Do you ever feel alone?

I have so many but this comment is already long enough. Sorry to have taken up your time like this! Thank you for reading. <3

Esther, I am so glad you wrote this comment! You've encouraged me that this is definitely something I want to be blogging about right now! I will try to answer your questions the best I can. Feel free to ask as MANY as you like, for real. I will do my best to answer them all. I remember feeling extremely overwhelmed before I went to college. You're not alone!